Towel-holder.



- J.TABRAH.

TOWEL HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l1. l9! 1.

1,289,01 v Tatented Dec. 24, 1918.

ENTTEE %TATE PATENT @FFEQE.

JOSEPH TABRAH, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INVENTORS PRODUCTS COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TOWEL-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application filed September 17, 1917 Serial No. 191,844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn TABRAH, a subject of the King of England, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Towel-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for supporting a roll of paper toweling and dispensing the same in predetermined lengths, the roll being made secure when properly positioned upon the holder.

The invention provides a holder which utilizes the towel roll as part of the lock means to secure the roll and prevent its removal from the holder after being properly adjusted thereto.

The invention also aims to devise novel means for limiting the length of towel to be drawn from the roll at each operation, as also to house the ends of the shaft and prevent their exposure.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a holder of novel structure which may be utilized for advertising purposes and which may be economically constructed, easily manipulated, limit the length of towel dispensed at each operatlon, lock the roll, and which is not liable to get out of order quickly.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction, and combinations of parts Which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, illustrated in the drawings hereto attached, and finally claimed.

Referring to the drawings, which 1llustrate an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the holder, the roll of towel paper being removed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the holder on a larger scale, partly in section, with intermediate portions of the bracket and roll support broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the shaft having the plate and cooperating spring removed.

Fig. 4 is a detail inner face view of one of the bracket arms.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The holder comprises a bracket and a support for the roll of towel paper, the latter embodying a shaft and a plate rotatably mounted upon the shaft and normally occupying a given position.

The bracket consists of a base 1, and arms 2, the latter projecting outwardly from the base in the same direction. The bracket may be of any formation, and each of its arms is provided at its outerend with an opening 3 and a groove 4, the latter intersecting with the opening 3 and being disposed upon the inner face of the arm. The openings 3 form bearings for the ends of the shaft, constituting the roll support and one of the grooves l receives a lug projecting laterally from the shaft, thereby holding the latter against any rotary movement. In order that the arms 2 may be of a minimum thickness and the openings 3 of appreciable depth without extending through the outer faces of the arms 2, the latter-are formed with bosses or enlargements 5 upon their outer faces and these bosses contain the openings 3.

The support for the roll of towel paper consists of a shaft 6 and a plate 7, the latter being mounted loosely upon the shaft to have a limited rotation thereon and prevented from any longitudinal-movement. A

. coil spring 8 mounted upon the shaft 6 has one end engaging such shaft by passing through an opening 9 formed therein, the opposite end of the spring engaging the plate 7 and passing through an opening 10 formed therein. It will thus be understood that the coil spring 8 has positive connection both with the shaft 6 and plate 7 and said spring is normally under tension to hold the plate 7 in a given position, the tension of such spring being increased when the plate is rotated upon the shaft in the act of drawing a length of paper from the roll. A pin 11 supported in the shaft 6 constitutes a stop to hold the plate 7 in given position and to limit the rotation of such plate upon the shaft. i

The shaft 6 is provided near one end with a'lug 1:2 of oifstanding projection which is adapted to enter the groove 4 formed in the inner face of the bracket arms and hold the shaft against rotation. The lug 12 may be provided in any manner and as shown, an end of-the shaft is slit longitudinally for a short distance and a portion'bordering upon such slit is bent laterally to form the lug. The shaft is extensible to admit of placing it in position or removing it from the bracket.

For this purpose an end portion 13 is made separate and is slidably fitted to the main portion of the shaft and is pressed outwardly by means of an expansible helical spring 14: which is disposed within the section 13 so as to be housed thereby. The section 13 is hollow and the end of the main portion of the shaftreceiving the same is reduced as indicated at 15 so that the outer sides of the telescoping section 13 and main portion of the shaft 6 may be flush. outward displacement of the section 13 is prevented by means of a pin 16 Which is let into the reduced end portion 15 of the shaft and extends through a longitudinal slot 17 formed in a side of the telescoping section 13. -When placing the roll support in position, the section 13 is pressed inward to admit of the ends of the shaft passing'betwe'en the arms 2 of the bracket and whenthe extremitiesof the sh aft register with the openvinjgs3,,the section 13 moves outward under the action of the spring 14, thereby holding the ends of the shaft in the openings 3. The support be removed from the bracket by gripping the plate or shaft and moving the same endwise to compress the spring llv to an extent tofca'use the end of the shaft provided with thelug 12 to clear the opening 3 after which such endof the shaft may be moved to clear the bracket arm, I afterwhich the opposite end of the shaft may be withdrawn from the remaining bracket arm. Itis preferred to prevent longitudinal movement of the plate 7 upon thejshaft 6. and this is accomplished by 'meansof asplit washer 18 which is sprung into a groove 19 formed in the "shaft 6, the washer 18 fitting in a transverse slot 20, formed in the plate 7. The roll of paper is of a length corresponding to the distance between the'inner faces of the bracket arms 2. Hence, when the roll of paper is in position upon the support, and

the latter is'adjusted tothe bracket, the end of the roll of paper adjacent the lug 12 engages such lug and prevents inward movement of the shaft,.thereby preventing the removal of the support from the bracket andlockingtheroll of towel paper thereto. After'th'e paper hasb'een used, the support may be readily removed from the bracket by gripping the end portion of the support contiguous to the lug'12 and moving such sup- "port longi't dinally to compress the spring 1 1 to a'n"extent'towithdraw the'endof'the shaft provided with the lug 12 from engagement with its supporting arm, after which the roll paper support may be easily disengaged from the bracket to receive a new roll preliminary to replenishing the holder. When placing the support in position with a new roll applied thereto, the end of the shaft having the lug 12 is first placed in position and the opposite end of the shaft is pressed to cause the extremity of the section 13 to clear the inner face of the cooperating bracket arm, after which the support is moved to cause the end of the section 13 to register with the opening 3 and at this instant the section 13 is pressed outward by the action of the spring 14 and is caused to enter the opening of the bracket arm, thereby retaining the support and roll of towel paperin position. The plate 7 and shaft 6 pass through the opening usually provided in the center of the roll of towel paper, and when drawing a length of paper from the roll, the latter is rotated a distance corresponding approximately to one revolution, which is determined by means of the pin 11 in the manner stated. After the length of paper drawn from the roll has been severed telescoping sections and having a lateral projection near one end to be engaged bythe paper roll and in turn engage the contiguous arm to prevent rotation of the shaft.

2. A. roll paper holder comprising supporting arms having openings in their inner faces and a groove in the inner face of an arm intersecting the opening thereof, and a roll )aper support embodying'a shaftcomprising telescoping sections, said shaft having its ends mounted in the openings of the arms and provided near one end with an oifstanding lug to enter the groove in the inner'face of an arm to prevent rotation of the shaft. i i

3. In a device of the character specified, a roll paper support, comprising a shaft em bodying telescoping sections, an interposed spring normally pressing the sections'apart longitudinally, an oifstanding projection near one end of the shaft to prevent rotation thereof and adapted to be engaged by the paper roll to formlocking means, aplate rotatably mounted upon "the shaft, an'd a spring interposed between the plate "and shaft for normally holding the plate in a,

given position.

4. Aholder'of thecharacterspecitiedrcoinin the openings of the bracket arms and said shaft having a laterally extending lug near one end to engage a groove of one of the arms, and a plate mounted upon the shaft and having a limited rotary movement thereon.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH TABRAH.

Witnesses:

' CHARLES AHRHART,

ABRAM L. GARBUTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

